Forced Mate

17: The Investigator

            "Come in if you're going to, Isabelle," I hear his voice through the crack between the door frame and the door itself. I push it open a little further and step into the frigid room. Jaxon is sitting behind his massive desk, appearing as menacing as ever.

            "Hey," I mumble, coming to a stop in the middle of the room, far enough away from his desk but close enough not to be weird.

            "What do you need, Isabelle? I'm busy," He continues to scribble across pages, evidently signing documents.

            "Oh, if you're busy, then i-it doesn't matter," I chicken out, my feet automatically backing me closer to the door.

            "Isabelle," He says, his tone level and impassive as he drops his pen and crosses his fingers over the pages, icy blues gluing my feet to the floor. "What do you need, darling?"

            Darling? That's weird.

            "I was trying a thing," He sighs, "but I don't think either of us liked it." I shake my head in agreement and a small laugh escapes both of us, easing the tension of the room.

            "Um," I finally chime in when the laughter has died down, "Lea and some people—your friends, actually—are going to the swimming hole in a little while. She invited me—"

            "You don't have to ask me for permission to be with my pack members, you know? As long as you stay here, I have no problem with you roaming or doing as you please, within reason."

            "Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us," I twist a piece of my brown hair around my pointer finger. "But, if you're too busy, I understand—"

            "I'm not," He interrupts, unexpectedly, sliding his chair back and standing. His muscles flex underneath his gray button-down and my eyes follow the buttons to the belt around his waist and his fitted, black slacks. I can see... everythingthrough his pants and I quickly move my eyes back to his face. Shit. He saw me staring. "Besides, I wouldn't want to deprive you of a chance to see me in my swimsuit." He winks at me, of all things, and I furrow my brow.

            "Who are you, and what have you done with Jaxon?" I let slip past my lips, but he smiles at the comment with a shrug.

            "Guess I'm just feeling it today."

            "So you're not mad at me anymore?"

            "I didn't say that. But the way I see it, that was before your induction. I was in the wrong, and you couldn't have known it was Hayes. All the Mistletoe freaks look like that."

            I laugh at his very Jaxon-like comment at the end and lean into him, as he's now standing in front of me from moving as he spoke. Resting my head against his chest, I hear the constant rhythm of his heart. It speeds up as I hold onto him and I laugh, "Your heart is beating so fast."

            "It's because you're near," He mumbles, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I laugh and fist his shirt, bringing him even closer to me.

            A resounding knock on the door interrupts our embrace and I step to the side, smoothing out my tank top and shorts. Jaxon does the same with his shirt and commands, "Come in."

            Grant pops his head inside, his usual boyish grin wiped from his face. "Alpha," He says solemnly.

            "What is it, Grant?"

            "There's someone here to see you... and Isabelle."

            "Who is it?"